BQ hopes to inspire young Makers through 3D-printed robotics

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“What you see is remembered, what is done is learned.”

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Those who say learning can’t be fun have surely never come across BQ’s latest set of robotics kits that provide young Makers with all of the necessary tools to construct their very own robot and control it right from their mobile device.

The kit is comprised of 10 components and a battery-holder, each of which are used to assemble the electronics of a vibrantly-colored PrintBot. The body of the robot is constructed entirely through 3D printing, where like 3DRacers, Makers have the option of either ordering the frame online or creating their own a printer is readily accessible. For those with programming knowledge, BQ even enables users to customize their PrintBot by developing and installing its own code.

Once a Maker has completed piecing together the friendly little bot, they can traverse its environment using an Android smartphone or tablet via its embedded Bluetooth module. In addition, the easy-to-use kits are packed with IR and light sensors, a potentiometer, a buzzer, LEDs, mini servos and a control board based on the versatile ATmega328.

Advocates of inspiring future tinkerers to pursue STEM disciplines, the BQ team seeks “to revolutionize the learning process, even from the very first stage, playing. Education is our greatest resource to be exploited to change and improve the world in which we live.”

In addition to its DIY robotics kits, BQ recently debuted a desktop 3D printer, the Witbox. The device boasts a rather big build volume of 29.7cm x 21cm x 20cm, with a resolution of 50-300 microns and at a recommended speed of 60mm/second, giving it the capacity to print large-scale objects and multiple parts simultaneously. Its innovative design also allows for multiple devices to be stacked, making for space-saving storage in any makerspace or lab. This is possible through the Witbox’s reinforced chassis and specially-designed power supply system, located inside the printer.

While the machine is clearly not a toy for children, the company emphasizes that the Witbox is, indeed, safe for young Makers looking to explore. The 3D printer is equipped with a locking front door system, a nice feature preventing access during printing. Based on an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4, the machine is entirely open-source and can run a variety of software including Slic3r, Cura, Pronterface and Repetier.

Interested in learning more about both PrintBots and the Witbox? Head on over to BQ’s official page here.

Check your heart rate with this Arduino-based sensor

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No more trips to the pharmacy or buying pricey detectors! View your pulse and calculate your heart rate with this simple DIY design.

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With the emergence of wearable trackers today, there seems to be more ways than ever before to electronically detect a heartbeat. However, Maker Orlando Hoilett wanted to create an even simpler approach by using just a few components and an Atmel based Arduino.

His DIY finger-mounted pulse sensor features a light source, a detector and a high gain circuit, which also sports a finger cuff with an integrated IR LED and photodiode. As blood is pumped through the body, the volume of blood in extremities fluctuates with the beating of the heart. This change in blood volume in the finger tips can be sensed by shining a light through the finger and detecting the amount of light that passes in and out of the finger using a photodiode.

“The photodiode produces a current that is converted to a voltage using a transimpedance amplifier (current-to-voltage converter). The signal is then high-pass filtered to remove the DC bias from the signal and then biased at Vdd/2 so that the wave is symmetrical about 2.5 V. We have a final gain stage that amplifies the AC part of the waveform (the actual pulse),” Hoilett shares on his Hackaday page.

The sensor is hooked up to an op amp circuit. Once the current produced by the photodiode is converted to a voltage by an amplifier and read by the Arduino (while the Maker notes that any ‘duino can be used, a Mega (ATmega2560) was selected for this project). This information is then relayed to a computer via serial. Hoilett has written both a LabVIEW and Processing program to plot the data as a waveform.

Want to build your own heartbeat detector? Head over to the project’s official page here.

Omnuino is a smarter ‘duino with a built-in touchscreen

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Give your next project the same Arduino Mega compatibility with a beautiful touchscreen display as well. 

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The Original Design & Development crew has devised a solution that packs all of the amazingness of an Arduino in a handheld or wall-mounted plastic enclosure, along with a 4.3” touchscreen TFT display.

The Omnuino — which recently made its Kickstarter debut — is based on the ATmega2560 and features a microSD card socket, a speaker, a three-axis accelerometer, a LiPo battery and charger, indicator LEDs, an IR emitter and receiver, as well as an XBee socket.

The Arduino Mega 2560-compatible device comes in two different versions. The first is a 28mm thick panel-mounted model that is ideal for smart home controllers, 3D printer interfaces, digital picture frames or in-home weather stations, as well as a real-time social media ticker or your very own HAL 9000 alarm clock.

The other, a 19mm thick wall-mounted device, can serve as a gaming machine, remote control or GPS display, and a smart mirror, among a number of other applications. This model is also capable of fitting an Arduino shield, or more than one if you extend beyond the panel.

Those wishing to learn more or get their own Omnuino for $120 can head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the team is currently seeking $30,000.

Rewind: The 12 most impressive DIY 3D printers of 2014

Over the past several months, we’ve seen quite a bit of Makers designing home-brew 3D printers — a trend that has surely emerged throughout open-source RepRap movement. A vast majority of them have been constructed on a shoestring budget, fully-functional and impressive nonetheless. As we round out another year, we’ve decided to take a look back at some of the our favorite DIY designs. With plenty of more making to be done in 2015, we can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Delta Twister 3D Printer

15-year-old Braden had designed a DIY 3D printer with an approximate $400 build of materials (BOM). Aptly named the “Delta Twister,” the machine was powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560), a RAMPS v1.4 board with drivers, and several other notable components.

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Ceramic Delta 3D Printer

A Maker by the name of Johnathan Keep has unveiled a new Ceramic Delta 3D Printer powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560). The build, which only cost about $700, is capable of printing a clay medium opposed to the more traditional plastic filament.

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Makeblock Constructor I 

Shenzhen-based company Makeblock, known throughout the DIY community for their mechanical parts and electronics modules, recently released a 400-piece DIY 3D printer kit. Inspired by the demands of the RepRap open-source community, the Makeblock Constructor I is powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560).

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Ultimaker Original-Inspired ColorFabb XT Printer

Dutch Maker Harold Reedijk is no stranger to tinkering around with his Ultimaker Original 3D printer by adding and replacing various components. In fact, he’s even created his own heated print bed, as well as even more recently replaced the entire hot-end on his Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) based machine. The Maker used ColorFabb XT filament to construct his 3D printer, which though based on the design of his Ultimaker Original, did include a few modifications such as increasing its print volume to 220 x 220 x 215mm, adding a heated print bed, including an integrated power supply, and using a Ubis ceramic hot-end.

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An E-Waste 3D Printer

Can you recall the last time you used your PC’s floppy disc drive? Better question, do any of you young Makers out there even know what a floppy disc is? How about that DVD player, or have your resorted entirely to Netflix? In any case, a Maker by the name of “mikelllc” has transformed electronic waste into an extremely inexpensive 3D printer — all for less than $100.  After downloading Arduino IDE, he used an ATmega644P based RepRap Gen6 to serve as the brains of the makeshift machine; however, he does note that RAMPS (ATmega2560) can also be used to bring the printer to life. The device runs off of free Repetier Host software, while the remaining components were each devised using cheap lasercut materials.

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Inkjet 3D Printer

Designed by 22-year-old engineer Yvo de Haas, Plan B is an open-source platform powered by an ATmega 2560. Unlike other 3D printers on the market, this device works just like a desktop printer. The process is similar to the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process, but instead of using a laser to sinter the material, an inkjet printing head deposits a liquid binder onto a layer of gypsum powder.

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DeltaTrix

Designed by Richard Tegelbeckers, the DeltaTrix is an open-source and fully-hackable 3D printer, powered by RAMPS v1.4 and an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560). A linear delta robot layout providing a mechanically simple motion platform for moving the print head allows for a relatively quick printing speed. Meanwhile, the DeltaTrix boasts as LCD display and a 4GB SD memory card, which can operate on its own and eradicates the need to be attached to a computer.

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3&Dbot by PUC-Rio

A team of Makers has created the world’s first autonomous 3D printing robot named 3&Dbot. Tethered to a base with four omni wheels, the entire printer itself can move to and fro in any direction — dependent upon the print data it is fed. After extensive research and development, the group of visionaries at PUC-Rio decided to embed an [Atmel based] Arduino board with wireless communication built in to its body. We’d say 3D printing is on quite a roll! Perhaps, the start of a new trend?

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BuildersBot

A Maker named “aldricnegrier” has designed an Arduino-based BuildersBot machine, which can best be described as a CNC Router that is also capable of 3D printing.

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OpenKnit

While the Maker community has been using open-source printers for some time now, the 3D printing industry has been primarily focused on producing plastic or metal objects. However, a small team of Barcelona-based Makers have introduced a new digital fabrication tool that aims to knit an entire piece of clothing, like a sweater or even a Where’s Waldo-like beanie cap, in under an hour. Powered by an Arduino Leonardo (ATmega32U4), the prototype platform cost approximately $750 to build and is currently capable of controlling three needles simultaneously.

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Pizza-Making 3D Printer

Designed by four undergraduate students from the Imperial College in London, F3D (pronounced “fed”) is the latest food printing research project that has set out to revolutionize the way we prepare our food. The Makers modified existing RepRap 3D printing technology to create a food printer capable of 3D printing and cooking a complete dish. Having chosen to produce a machine with at least three extruders, the students needed to explore various hardware options capable of controlling the printer. They decided upon the Arduino Due (SAM3X8E) based DUET and DUEX4 bundle. As a result, the students were able to develop a pizza-making machine that was capable of 3D printing three different ingredients with three extruders and cooking the entire dish with the halogen oven all for just £1,145.19 (just shy of $2,000). Now, pretty soon everyone can become a chef!

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 3Drag

3D-printed chocolate. We repeat, 3D-printed chocolate. Need we say more? As we experienced (and tasted) first-hand back at World Maker Faire 2014, the 3Drag has officially made chocolate on-demand a reality. Modified with a real pastry bag for precision bakery work or a heated syringe, 3Drag is suitable for plotting lettering and lines using any type of chocolate like milk, white and dark. All this, with the advantage to design the object or the pastry directly in computer graphic. Based on an ATmega 2560, the device is fitted a special extruder (which replaces the one typically used for extruding plastic materials) with a very common 60 ml syringe. A NEMA17 stepper motor drives its piston and a heater to maintain the chocolate contained in the syringe at its appropriate temperature.

 

 

Dutch Maker 3D prints an entire 3D printer

Over the last 12 months, we’ve certainly seen a fair share of new 3D printers hit the market. While many of today’s printers range in terms of size, extruders, composition, materials and hardware, none may be as unique as the one recently created by Dutch Maker Harold Reedijk.

As 3DPrint.com notes, Makers have been constructing their own 3D printers using 3D-printed parts for a while now — a trend that is commonly seen throughout open-source RepRap movement. Meanwhile, we’ve also begun to see some manufacturers, like Lulzbot, begin to mass produce their own parts on 3D printers — a number of which are based on AVR and Atmel | SMART microcontrollers.

Reedijk, who has owned an Ultimaker Original 3D printer for quite some time now, is no stranger to tinkering around with his Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) based printer by adding and replacing various components. In fact, he’s even created his own heated print bed, as well as even more recently replaced the entire hot-end on his Ultimaker.

“After a while I asked myself whether I could make a printer on my own. I had access to aluminum extrusions, so I decided to use them for the frame. I didn’t want to make the printer entirely from aluminum parts, as it would be too expensive for my budget at that time, and I knew that RepRap printers used printed ABS parts for construction purposes. First I tried PLA. It was hard enough for construction but when there was pressure on the parts they just broke. I didn’t want to use ABS, just because of the bad fumes alone, so I searched for alternatives. At that time ColorFabb came out with XT. I bought a spool, printed some test parts to test the general strength, toughness and impact strength, and it exceeded my expectations,” Reedijk told 3DPrint.com.

Subsequently, the Maker elected to go ahead and use the ColorFabb XT to build his 3D printer, which was based on the design of his Ultimaker Original. He did make a few modifications, however, which included increasing its print volume to 220 x 220 x 215mm, adding a heated print bed, including an integrated power supply, and using a Ubis ceramic hot-end.

Reedijk revealed to 3DPrint.com that he drew the aluminum extrusions of the printer in his 3D Program around the print be dimensions before making the parts for the frame.

“After that I sourced all the parts, built up the printer, step by step, drew all the XT parts and printed them out. At that time, I thought I knew enough about 3D printing, but during the build process I learned a lot more about printing itself (temperatures, print orientations, effects of cooling, etc.), the material XT itself, and the do’s and don’ts when making a printer.”

When all was said and done, the DIY 3D printer looks (and yes, works) perfect. You can see it in action below!

Interested in learning more? While Reedijk’s future plans are still undecided, you can head over to his official website here.

 

15-year-old Maker creates a DIY 3D printer for $400

Several months back, 15-year-old Braden designed a DIY 3D printer with an approximate $400 build of materials (BOM). The Delta Twister build — which was recently posted to Instructables — had also been an entry in the site’s Arduino contest earlier in the year.

“Anyone can build the Delta Twister! You don’t need any 3D printed parts or CNC to make this printer. Everything except the extruder can be made using hand tools like I did,” Braden explained in the Instructables post.

“Practically anyone with basic mechanical skills can build their own Delta Twister. Having a print volume of over 1000 cubic inches this printer really has it all…for only $400 compared to $800-3,000.”

Aside from its Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560), other notable Delta Twister specs included:

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(1) Ramps v1.4 board with drivers
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(3) 36″ 8mm linear rods
• (6) 8mm linear bearings
• (2) 3/8 in wooden dowel rods(4 feet each)
• (12) 8mm rod ends
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(4) NEMA 17 stepper motors
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(3) Stepper pulleys for a 5mm shaft
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(1) 6M length of belt that fits your pulley
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(1) RepRap heated bed
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(3) 3d printer endstops
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(1) PC power supply
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(3) Computer fans
• (1) J-head printhead
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(1) Extruder with a bowden tube (airtripper has a good unit)
• (1) Meter of 1.75 mm Teflon tubing

Braden kicked off his DIY 3D printer project by building a frame. He then fashioned linear rod supports, cut the rods and dowels to size, made an arm carriage, screwed in the rod supports, put together the motor mounts and printer head carriage, and attached the endstops as well as the belt pulley system. 

On the software side, Braden used Repetier Host for the 3D printer, along with Marlin firmware for the Arduino board.

“[Yes], it will take a little bit of tinkering around to get prints looking like you want them to, but hey, you now have a working 3d printer,” Braden added.

Interested in learning more? You can check out Delta Twister’s official Instructables page here. Meanwhile, you can see the build in action below.

 

3D printing a remote control box with Arduino Materia 101

Earlier this fall, Arduino co-founder Massimo Banzi announced the launch of the company’s first 3D Printer, the Arduino Materia 101. The device, which is powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) and a RAMPS 1.4 shield, is currently available for pre-order. In an effort to lower the barriers of entry and get Makers started, our friends have begun to debut a series of tutorials, including this remote control box from Kristoffer.

In today’s constantly-connected world, we’re finding it increasingly more useful to control our computers, music players and other entertainment systems all with the click of one remote. In his latest tutorial, Kristoffer devised an add-on to a previous lesson, which demonstrated how to control a PC using Arduino Micro (ATmega32U4) and an IR sensor. The add-on is comprised of a custom 3D-printed case that was created using Freecad and the newly-unveiled Materia 101.

Ready to get started? You can access the entire step-by-step guide here. Also, don’t forget to check out the team’s previous tutorial!

 

Skeleton 3D is a small, portable and affordable RepRap printer

RepRap has debuted a new 3D printer, the Skeleton 3D. This small, simple and super portable printer becomes the latest addition to the growing list of RepRap devices based on Atmel’s megaAVR family.

The conception of the machine came about after a French Maker found transporting his Prusa i3 to be too bulky by bike. Despite its compact 250 x 250 x 250mm size, the Skeleton 3D sure does pack a punch. Powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4, the machine features a build envelope of 100 x 100 x 100mm, with a 150mm option for its Z-axis. Meanwhile, it also boasts an inductive sensor for the auto-leveling of its bed, a print speed of 80 mm/second, as well as a minimum resolution of 100 microns.

The Maker notes that although the Skeleton 3D is still a work in progress, the files for its most recent version are now available for download on Thingiverse and GitHub.

 

Build your own ceramic 3D printer for under $700

A Maker by the name of Johnathan Keep has unveiled a new Ceramic Delta 3D Printer powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560). The build, which only cost about $700, is capable of printing a clay medium opposed to the more traditional plastic filament.

According to Keep, “The aim of the design was to keep it simple, using basic DIY skills and parts available on the Internet.” And, while the design is specifically created to print clay, it could be adapted to work with other materials, the Maker adds.

Based on ‘delta’ style 3D printers, the DIY design is comprised of modified parts from a Techcon Systems dispensing gun for the extruder — including the gun’s cartridges and retainer body. Compressed air is used to extrude the material from the cartridge and is capable of providing around one hour’s worth of printing before it needs to be replaced.

The Maker elected to equip the printer with an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) in order to drive the three high torque stepper motors to position the guide rods. The rods are held in place using MDF and plastic pieces as a platform and open-frame top to allow for movement while being stable. The project also is controlled by a RAMPS 1.4 set.

“Annoyed and frustrated by 3D Systems buying out and then stopping the production of the RapMan 3D printer. This was the first kit printer Belgian design duo Unfold adapted to print with clay and has subsequently been copied and widely used by others, I decided to develop my own replacement 3D printer,” the Maker elaborates on his blog. “By 3D printer standards this is a rather primitive tool set, but it does offer an accessible way into a very exciting new way of working with clay.”

For more detailed information on this Maker’s build, head on over to his step-by-step blog post here.

MEG is the world’s first open-source indoor greenhouse

MEG (Micro Experimental Growing) is the world’s first social, open-source and automated greenhouse that allows users to manage plant cultivation through an online platform. Growers can monitor all necessary details for a living plant, controlling everything from internal climate to lighting cycles straight from a smartphone or tablet.

This innovation is the brainchild of Italian lighting design agency Yradia, in an effort to demonstrate that just about anything can be grown in any location — whether natural or artificial. The greenhouse is just about the size of a vending machine and is driven by an Arduino Mega 25600 (ATmega2560) based control board.

A user can easily control all key aspects required to create an ideal environment of their plants to prosper, such as light cycles, ventilation, temperature, irrigation, soil acidity and alkalinity, each of which can be managed through the companion app.

“We believe in micro-growing and want to build since now an open system of information and hardware to meet the big change that, in a span of 5 years, will affect the micro-growing market,” Yradia says.

There is a social element to the initiative, too. Thanks to its dedicated online platform, information around cultivation can be acquired and shared with others through a constantly growing knowledge database, which is accessible by any MEG user. Since all the construction details are open-source, a worldwide community can also contribute to improve MEG’s design, providing the driving-force for acquiring knowledge and refining the necessary hardware.

MEG also records the growth and health of the plants, meaning that if a user finds a successful recipe for a particular plant, they can repeat the process. This can then be shared with its blossoming online community. Conversely, if one finds their plants on the verge of death, they can reach out to their fellow MEG users some gardening tips.

Fresh off their Wired’s Hack the Expo contest victory, the team is hoping to install five custom MEGs in five metro stations during the 2015 Universal Exposition in Milan, Italy.

In an attempt to bring this idea to fruition, the team has launched a crowdfunding campaign seeking € 20,000. If all goes to plan, Yradia hopes to have a physical, working prototype by the end of February 2015.

While this may be the first social, open-source greenhouse, it’s certainly not the first time an innovative agricultural ideas has been brought to life with Atmel powered boards. In fact, you can browse our archive on the topic here, where you will find everything from vertical farming to smiling plants.